Benefits

“The Benefits of Parks and Recreation”
by David E. Clark, CLP

PERSONAL BENEFITS

Parks and recreation contribute to a balanced and meaningful life; fitness and recreation opportunities improve and maintain our personal health and wellness; regular physical activity is one of the best methods of health insurance for individuals; relaxation, and revitalization through recreation are essential to stress management; recreation is an essential source of self-esteem and helps build a positive self-image; recreation opportunities provide positive lifestyle choices and alternatives to self-destructive and anti-social behavior. Children’s play is essential to the human development process.

SOCIAL BENEFITS
Recreation provides leadership opportunities that build strong communities; recreation reduces alienation and loneliness, and promotes ethnic and cultural harmony; recreating together of a stronger society; recreation provides opportunities for community involvement; park facilities and recreation programs build community pride. Integrated and accessible recreation opportunities are critical to the quality of life of people with disabilities.

ECONOMIC BENEFITS
Recreation helps develop a fit work force which is a more productive work force; parks and recreation services motivate business relocation and expansion in the community; recreation helps reduce the high cost of crime and vandalism; recreation and park services are often the catalyst for tourism; investments in environmental protection through parks and open space pay for themselves.

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
Parks, open space and natural areas contribute to the environmental health of our communities; the public is often willing to pay for environmental protection and rehabilitation and support parks and recreation organizations that play a lead role in that protection; investing in the environment through parks and open space in residential areas leads to increased property values and enhanced livability. Parks, open space and natural areas add to the beauty and preserve the quality of life as our communities grow.

PERSONAL BENEFITS
1.1 Physical recreation and fitness contributes to a FULL AND MEANINGFUL LIFE.
1.2 Regular physical activity is one of the very best methods of HEALTH INSURANCE for individuals.
1.3 Relaxation, rest and revitalization through the opportunity of leisure is ESSENTIAL TO STRESS MANAGEMENT in today’s busy and demanding world.
1.4 Meaningful leisure activity is an essential SOURCE OF SELF-ESTEEM AND POSITIVE SELF-IMAGE.
1.5 Leisure provides the opportunity to lead BALANCED LIVES, ACHIEVE OUR FULL POTENTIAL and GAIN LIFE SATISFACTION.
1.6 CHILDREN’S PLAY IS ESSENTIAL TO THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
1.7 Leisure opportunities for youth provide POSITIVE LIFESTYLE CHOICES AND ALTERNATIVES to self-destructive behavior.
1.8 Parks, and open spaces bring beauty to an area while GIVING PEOPLE SATISFACTION AND IMPROVING THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. SOCIAL BENEFITS
2.1 Leisure provides leadership opportunities that BUILD STRONG COMMUNITIES.
2.2 Community recreation reduces ALIENATION, LONELINESS AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIORS
2.3 Community recreation PROMOTES ETHNIC AND CULTURAL HARMONY.
2.4 Recreating together BUILDS STRONG FAMIIES, the foundation of a stronger society.
2.5 Leisure provides opportunities for COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, AND SHARED MANAGEMENT AND OWNERSHIP OF RESOURCES.
2.6 INTEGRATED AND ACCESSIBLE LEISURE SERVICES are critical to the quality of life of people with a disability and disadvantaged individuals.
2.7 Leisure services enrich and complement protective services for LATCHKEY CHILDREN through after-school and other recreational services.
ECONOMIC BENEFITS
3.1 Pay now or pay more later! Investment n recreation as a PREVENTATIVE HEALTH SERVICE makes sense.
3.2 A fit work force is A PRODUCTIVE WORK FORCE
3.3 Small investments in recreation yield BIG ECONOMIC RETURNS.
3.4 Parks and recreation services motivate BUSINESS RELOCATION AND EXPANSION in your community.
3.5 Meaningful leisure services REDUCE THE HIGH COST OF VANDALISM AND CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
3.6 Recreation and park services are often the CATALYST FOR TOURISM, a growing sector of our economy.
3.7 INVESTMENTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION through the provision of parks and open spaces PAY FOR THEMSELVES.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
4.1 Through the provision of parks, open spaces and protected natural environments, recreation can contribute to the ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH of our communities. This is an essential, life-sustaining role.
4.2 The public is often prepared to pay for ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND REHABILITATION in their communities, and to support parks and recreation organizations that a lead role in that protection.
4.3 INVESTIGATING IN THE ENVIRONMENT through parks and the provision of open space in residential areas, leads to an increase in neighborhood property values through accessibility to environmentally friendly green spaces and associated recreation opportunities.
4.4 The trend toward natural environment based leisure activities is INSURANCE FOR A NEW AND IMPROVED ENVIRONMENTAL FUTURE.